Chiral – Abisso (Review)

I previous encountered this band on their Eternal Winter demo and was suitably impressed. At only 10 minutes in length it was an enjoyable listen of frozen Black Metal, and as I said at the time, I have been looking forward to hearing what comes next.

Well the wait is over, as now Abisso is here; this time delivering us 22 minutes of music to feast on.

Things start off slow and atmospheric with Alto I: Disceso Nel Buio, which really, really does it for me in establishing a mournful but almost martial atmosphere. The vocals this time around are even more bowel looseningly deep than previously.

Alto I: Oblio is fast and razor sharp and the vocals are high shrieks that can cut flesh at 100 paces. Frozen melodics quickly give way to soft acoustics that have almost and Opeth-vibe to them before we’re back in the fast lane once more. Propelled by atmosphere and driven by a love of Black Metal, this is a great track. As a bonus, you can even hear the bass doing some great things.

Track three is Alto II: Abisso; at almost 12 minutes long this is the main event, so to speak, of the EP. This once more explores the waters of 70’s inspired Opeth-style acoustics with some nice leads making an appearance. The atmosphere doesn’t let up and the dirgy sounds build and morph into a more Blackened landscape with ease. Vocals streak like static across this icy tundra and the entire song really hits the spot.

Finally we have Alto II: In Assenza, which at just over 1 minute in length is an outro of sorts.